Ezekiel 15

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

2 Son of man, what is the vine-tree more than any branching tree which is among the trees of the woods?

Son of man, what shall be made of the wood of the vine, out of all the trees of the woods that are among the trees of the forests?

3 Will its wood be used for any work? do men make of it a pin for hanging any vessel on?

Shall wood be taken of if, to do any work, or shall a pin be made of it for any vessel to hang thereon?

4 See, it is put into the fire for burning: the fire has made a meal of its two ends and the middle part of it is burned; is it good for any work?

Behold it is cast into the fire for fuel: the fire hath consumed both ends thereof, and the midst thereof is reduced to ashes: shall it be useful for any work?

5 Truly, before it was cut down, it was not used for any purpose: how much less, when the fire has made a meal of it and it is burned, will it be made into anything?

Even when it was whole it was not fit for work: how much less, when the fire hath devoured and consumed it, shall any work be made of it?

6 For this cause the Lord has said: Like the vine-tree among the trees of the woods which I have given to the fire for burning, so will I give the people of Jerusalem.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God: As the vine tree among the trees of the forests which I have given to the fire to be consumed, so will I deliver up the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

7 And my face will be turned against them; and though they have come out of the fire they will be burned up by it; and it will be clear to you that I am the Lord when my face is turned against them.

And I will set my face against them: they shall go out from fire, and fire shall consume them: and you shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have set my face against them.

8 And I will make the land a waste because they have done evil, says the Lord.

And I shall have made their land a wilderness, and desolate, because they have been transgressors, saith the Lord God.